Traffic game



April 29, 1941- J. J. CLARK arm.

Q'IRAFFIC GAME Filed Sept. 22. 19.39,.

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April 29, 1941. Y. J. J. CLARK arm. ,239,779

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Patented Apr. 29, 1941 UNITED STATES-- PATENT OFFICE M13211... Jaclyn J. Clark and JrruyfiDe Vine, Los Angeles,

Application September 22, 1939, Serial No. 298,086

' 3 Claims. .(c1. 273-134) This invention relates to a trailic game intended to afford amusement and instruction to players.

One of the general purposes of the invention is to awaken the public to a realization of the extraordinary number of traflic accidents that occur daily wherever automobiles are operated on highways; for example, in 1938, 32,000 deaths from traille accidents occurred in the United States. This is a deplorable condition for the reason that in most of these cases the fatal accident could have been prevented if the drivers involved in the accident adhered to the regular traiiie rules that should control their operation of the cars.

One of the objects of the game isto provide means operating in the playing of the game to bring constantly to the attention of the players the regular traflic rules and regulations; also to provide means for indicating to the players how the infraction of traffic rules incurs penalties.

A further object of the game is to provide a game having representations of traflic arteries,

successful in bringing his vehicle pieces to the goal, will reap a reward from the penalties exacted from all of the players.

As is well known, night driving is much more dangerous than daylight driving. One of the objects of the game is to provide a game board and means cooperating therewith, which will bring home to the player a realization of the fact that night driving is more dangerous than day driving; also to provide the board. with means for indicating when certain vehicle pieces" are supposed to be driving in the night time, and others in the day time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method for playing the game based on traflic penalties in which a successful player is rewarded from the penalties collected from all the players. I

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel method and in the novel parts and combination of parts to be described hereinafter, all of which contribute to produce an efiicient traflic game.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the following specification, while the tion, and on which the game can be played.

Fig. 2 is a perspective and developed plan of a die which we prefer to employ as a chance device to be used by the players in playing the game.

Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 2, and indicates a second die in perspective, and a developed plan of the same. Figs. 2 and 3 represent a cooperating pair of dice that are rolled simultaneously.

Fig. 4 is a perspective and developed plan of a 7' third die, the use of which may be indicated by the result of the rolling of the dice illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan indicating four vehicle pieces" numbered in succession, and of distinctive color, such as yellow.

Figs. 6, '7 and 8 are similar to Fig. 5, but represent the vehicle pieces as being of blue, green, and red.

Fig. 9 illustrates means which we prefer to employ for indicating trafllc rules 'and the penalties for infractions of the same. More specifically, Fig. 9 represents three distinctly colored packs of cards bearing legends indicating different tramc rules, and the penalties for infractions of the same.

Before proceeding to a more. detailed description of the game apparatus, it should be stated that in playing the game, we employ a game board having the representation of a trafiic antery along which pieces corresponding to the players and representing vehicles, are to be advanced. We also provide means for indicating a plurality of traffic rules with corresponding penalties for sent the major trafiic artery which preferably extends continuously around the board. The players are allotted a plurality of distinctively colored and numbered vehicle pieces, and in playing the game these pieces are supposed to start from the station point and must proceed into the traffic artery and make a complete circuit of the same, returning thereafter to the starting point. The movements of the vehicles are determined by chance by means of any suitable chance device, but preferably by rolling a pair of dice which not only indicates the amount of movement to be given to any one of the vehicles of the player who has rolled the dice, but also having means for indicating that the player is supposed to have infracted a traffic rule. 'Ilhis trafiic rule and a certain named penalty is then made known to the player, who must pay the line in tokens or script, or by charging his account with the amount of the penalty.

In order to make the players realize the importance of taking great precautions at railroad crossings and school districts, special indications are preferably placed on the board that operate in such a way that if vehicle pieces do not clear such hazards in their movements, the player will be penalized.

Referring more particularly to the parts, I represents the game board on which the game is played, said board being provided with a starting station 2 for all the vehicle pieces, that is preferably located at the center of the board. The margin of the board is provided with a continuous band or major trafllc artery 3, and from the starting station 4 lateral roadways" 4 ar provided that lead into the main artery 3. There may, of course, be any number of these laterals, but for convenience four are represented. The main traflic artery 3 and the laterals 4 are divided by central lines 5 and 6 into right-hand and left-hand lanes along which the vehicle pieces move. The board is divided into two halves by the line H, which may be a horizontal line if desired, and one-half of the board on ,one side of this line is supposed to be in daylight,

and the other half in the dark, as during night time. In order to determine how the vehicle pieces are to be advanced along the laterals and the main artery, we prefer to provide two dice 1 and 8, and the die 9 which are to be rolled by the players in succession. These dice are illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. The faces of the die I carry numbers such as indicated, and also the letter T. The die 8 does not carry numbers but carries a plus mark on one or more faces, and a minus mark; also characters such as the letters W, C, A.

While any number of players may play the game, we will suppose for example, that four players are playing, in which case each player will be provided with four small discs such as those indicated in Figs. 5-8. Each set of discs has a distinctive color, the colors represented being yellow, blue, green, and red. Each player is supposed to start the disc numbered l on the lateral that has the legend Gar. 1 at its inner end, and so on. On the board there are three spots Sa, H) and H, which are to receive packs of cards face down, and which have the colors respectively, yellow. blue, and red.

There is also a. fourth spot l2 on the board on which the cards are to be placed face up when drawn from the other packs, which should be face down.

Along the main highway 3 representations are made of special hazards such as two railroad crossings I3 and I4. At another point a car and trailer l5 is indicated, and a similar car and trailer is indicated at the point l6. At all of the intersections where the laterals run into the main artery, legends II are provided composed of the word Stop. At other points along the main highway other hazards can be provided,

for instance, as at the points It where the legend Out gas appears. At the point I! a school is indicated, at which point an appropriate stop legend is provided printed on the highway, and at another point a hospital 20 is indicated. At other points on the board, cars 20 may be represented proceeding along the laterals or the main highway. If desired, the center of the board may be provided with a compass indicating the points N, E, S, and W, and in playing the game the banker is supposed to have the board placed in front of him so that the S of south is nearest to him.

The board is also provided with a spot or bank area II at which chips are supposed to be placed,

which are collected as penalties from the players, or to receive payments they must make on account of insurance and attorney's fees.

If desired, the board may have the county jail 22 indicated upon it, and at one or more points on the main roadway 3, the legend 23 Go to -iail" may be printed on the roadway. In playing the game, if a vehicle piece" has to land on this go to jail division, the vehicle piece" would have to be placed at 22 in the county jail and would have to remain there a certain time or until permitted to come out of the jail in accordance with any other desired rule of the game. The lanes of the roadways should have direction arrows on the same preferably arranged substantially as shown. If desired, the legend 24 "Return to hospital may be printed at one or more spots on the main highway, and in playing the game, if a vehicle piece should land on this spot, the piece would have to be put on the spot 20 representing the hospital, until released by some rule of the game.

A brief statement will now be made of the way the game may be played on this game board, and with the means set forth for determining the advancement of the vehicle pieces and the penalties for infraction of the traffic rules. One of the players may operate as a banker. Ordinary poker chips or tokens of distinctive colors can be employed having different values, depending upon their color. In commencing the game, each player is required to place a certain amount of "cash" for insurance paid by means of his chips, which the banker lays on the spot 1|. Assuming that there are four players, each player would be given four of the "vehicle pieces of a certain color such as illustrated in Figs. 58. The players roll the dice in succession. In rolling the die, each player would always roll the two white dice 1 and 8. Suppose for example, that a player has rolled these two dice and the number 4 appears uppermost on the die 1 as shown in Fig. 2, and the plus mark appears uppermost on the die 8. This would mean that the player can advance any one of his vehicle pieces by four, five or six spaces. The plus mark gives him this amount of leeway, which is often quite advantageous where a "vehicle piece that must be advanced is in a place where to advance it means that it would land on a. stop" legend, which would constitute a traflic breach, which would b P ni h by a penalty determined, with the present apparatus, as will be presently described. If the minus sign on the die 8 is uppermost, then the player could advance any one of his vehicle pieces by two, three or four spaces. Of course, if desired, any other meaning can be given to the plus and minus marks on the die 8.

If the rolling of the two white dice I and 8 results in a. T of the die 1 and an Ant the die 8 coming uppermost, this constitutes a traflic accident" that is imputed to the player. The player must then roll the black die shown in Fig. 4. As illustrated, this die has the letter M on four of its faces, the letter F on another face, and the letter P on the last face, and if in rolling the black die shown in Fig. 4, the letter M comes uppermost, then it is considered that a trafllc accident" has been due to a misdemeanor of which the player is guilty. He must then draw a card either from a yellow pack 25, v

or from a blue pack 26. These packs of cards have legends on the same, stating diflerent trafllc rules that are actually used in practice. The blue cards the blue pack stating the traffic rule that all persons shall replace Windshields or windows with safety glass. This rule would carry a fine of $10.00 which the player must then pay in chips to the banker, who deposits the amount collected on the banker's spot in the center of the board.

If the player rolls the black die and the letter P appears uppermost, the player is assumed to be put on probation or parole, and no penalty is collected from him, and the white dice are merely passed over to the next player.

If the player rolling the black die roll-s the F uppermost on this die, he is then assumed to have committed a felony, and he must draw from the red pack of cards2'l, which has been deposited upside down on the spot II. This red pack in the present instance, contains twelve cards, each card describing a different traflic rule and penalty. For example, in Fig. 9 the top card of this pack bears a legend indicating that it is a felony to transport aliens in any vehicle. First offense, $5000.00; second offense, loss of car. The player drawing this card must place 10% of the $5000.00'in chips for the banker's space 2|, on account of insurance. If it should happen that a player draws this card a second time, a vehicle piece representing one of his cars would have to be removed from the. board, and thence it would be impossible for this player to win the game.

If the C on one die and a number on the other die is rolled uppermost, this indicates a citation and if the player chooses to advance a car in the daylight zone, he would have to draw a penalty card from the yellow pack.

If the 7 on one die comes uppermost and a C on the other die in combination, then the player cannot advance a "car but must draw a card from either misdemeanor pack.

In addition to traflfic accidents occurring in playing the game, by throwing a T on the die I and an A on the die 8, traffic accidents may occur in the regular advancement of the vehicle pieces along their route. For example, if the vehicle piece 28 shown at the right in Fig. 1, is the only vehicle piece that can be advanced, and the player rolls a "2 with the die I, this would necessitate advancing the vehicle piece 28 onto the stop legend in front of the school I9. This would constitute a misdemeanor or citation, and as this car is being operated on the daylight side of the board, the player would then have to draw a card from the yellow pack '75 sponding line would have to be deposited by the player at the center of the board. Other traflic accidentsfcould occur at other points on the board; for example, supposing that a red .vehicle piece 29 is occupying a space in the left trafllc lane alongside of the represented vehicle 20. and suppose that a player owning'the blue vehicle piece" 30 has rolled a "3 on the die I with no plus or minus appearing on the die 8, and'assuming also that this piece 30 is the only one that the player can advance, then these conditions would constitute a tramc accident because the piece 30 could not be advanced three spaces without colliding with the car 29 or the represented car 20. Then he must roll the black die and will have the chance of being excused from drawing a card if he rolls the P" uppermost, which indicates a parole for him.

If this trafllc accident" has occurred in the daylight zone, and is merely a misdemeanor by reason of throwing an M, then the player must draw a card from the yellow pack. If a similar accident" occurred on the lower half of the board under the same circumstances, the player would have to draw from the blue pack on the spot l0.

Whenever a card is drawn, it must be read by the player, which will familiarize him with.the traflic rules, and then must be laid uppermost at the spot l2 on the board, so that the other players can read the trafllc rule. If any one of the packs becomes exhausted before the game is completed, the cards of that color on the spot l2 should be sorted'out as to color, shuflled and replaced on its and having spent the least amount of money for fines, when all but the last players cars are home, is declared the winner and gets all of the chips in center of the board.

Many other embodiments of this invention may be resorted to without departing from of the invention.

What we claim is: 4

1. A trafiic game board to be used with "vehicle pieces corresponding to the different players, having a starting station for all the players indicated on the board, and having a representation of a major traflic artery on the face of the board and surrounding the starting station, lateral roadways indicated on the board leading from the starting station to the said major traflic artery, said major tramc artery having a central division line dividing the same into lanes along which the vehicle pieces are passed in opposite directions, said lateral roadways also having a central division line dividing the same into lanes for passage of vehicle pieces in opposite directions to and from said starting station, the vehicle pieces from said lateral roadways being adapted to be advanced along different lanes of said major traific artery whereby to provide traffic in opposite directions along the lanes of said major traffic artery and representations on the board of obstructions in the lanes, where the vehicle pieces must move from one lane to another in passing said obstructions.

the spirit 2. A traflc game board to be used with vehicle pieces 'correspending to the diii'erent players. having a starting station for all the players indicated on the board, and having a representation of a major trafllc artery on the face of the board and surrounding the starting station. said major trailic artery having a longitudinally-extending division line dividing the same into lanes for traiiic in opposite directions used in common by all the pieces of the players and along which the vehicle pieces are advanced, lateral roadways indicated on the board leading from the starting station to ditferent lanes of said major trallic artery to provide a traflic 0! vehicle pieces in opposite directions in the lanes of said major traflic artery, and representations on the board of obstructions in said lanes, where the vehicle pieces must move from one lane to another and pass said obstructions.

3. A trafllc game board having a representation of a main traflic artery extending marginalLv around the board, with transverse spaced divisions, along which pieces corresponding to the players and representing vehicles, are to be advanced, said main traflic artery divided longitudinaily into separate trailic lanes with means on said lanes for indicating opposite direction of movement in said lanes. means located at diflerent points on the board along the main tramc artery for affecting the movement of the pieces and causing the player to be subjected to penalties when the same are ignored by the player, said lanes having representations of cars located on the same at diflerent points and around which pieces representing the vehicles must pass in the adjacent lane, and means represented on the board for directing the passage of vehicle pieces into different lanes of said major traiilc artery to provide trafllc in opposite directions in accordance with said indicating means on said lanes.

JACLYN J. CLARK. JERRY DE VINE. 

